Somaliland: Four Sentenced to Death for the Murder of Late Ruqiya

HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The case against a family accused of the brutal death of late Ms Ruqiya Saeed has been concluded.

Four Family members being the mother, and her three sons were sentenced to death while an underage daughter was imprisoned thus serve 10 years hard labour.

“This court hereby concludes the case against persons accused of the murder of late Ruqiya Saeed which occurred in Hargeisa Somaliland on the 24th February 2014” said the Hargeisa Regional Magistrate Feisal Mohamed Abdilahi ‘Feisal Dhako-dhako as he passed judgment.

According to magistrate Feisal Dhako-dhako evidence presented to the Hargeisa regional court by the prosecution and subsequent and admission by some of the accused the court is satisfied that there were five main perpetrators of the murder.

a fifth perpetrator Hana Abdisalan Ismail 17 years old daughter of the 1st Accused and sibling of accused #2,3 and 4 was sentenced to serve 10 years imprisonment.

“The Court sentenced Ms Hana to 10 years in prison in conformity with the laws of the Republic of Somaliland which stipulate that a minor cannot be sentenced to death” Said magistrate Feisal Dhako-dhako

The court released Haji Mohamed Hirsi after finding him not guilty of the charge of having been responsible of enticing the late Ruqiya to her death.

The death sentence shall be affected once the attorney general secures the signature of approval from the president of Somaliland.

The court’s judgment brought a sigh of relief among somalilanders nationwide who have remained perturbed as per the circumstances in which the late Ruqiya met her death having been cobbled to death by the mother and her five children in their Hargeisa residents where they dug a small pit inside the house and buried her.